Associate Software Engineer at YC Backed Startup
Swades AI · India
- Hybrid
- Full-time
- $120,000 / year
- India
Job highlights
- Build and maintain production APIs with Bun.
- Design and operate background job systems.
- Integrate third-party APIs and webhooks.
- Own service lifecycle from schema to deployment.
- Utilize AI coding tools for efficiency.
About the role
About Swades AI
We're a YC-backed venture studio building and scaling AI-native startups from zero. Three of our companies are already profitable. We move fast, stay lean, and give our engineers real ownership over systems that matter. This isn't a typical backend role. You'll work across multiple ventures — shipping production infrastructure one week, designing an AI pipeline the next.
The Role
We're looking for a backend developer who's genuinely excited about Bun — not just familiar with it, but building with it by choice. You'll own backend services across our portfolio: APIs, background job systems, webhooks, integrations, and the infrastructure glue that keeps everything running.
What You'll Do
- Build and maintain production APIs using Bun + Hono
- Design and operate background job systems (BullMQ, Inngest, Trigger.dev, or Temporal)
- Integrate third-party APIs and webhooks across multiple ventures
- Own the full lifecycle of services — from schema design to deployment on GCP / Cloud Run
- Write type-safe, schema-validated code using Zod and tRPC
- Work alongside AI tooling (Claude Code, Cursor, agentic workflows) as a first-class part of your workflow
You're a Fit If
- You have 2+ years of production backend experience
- You've shipped real things with Bun — not just ran a toy server
- You're comfortable with TypeScript, Zod, and tRPC end-to-end
- You've built or operated background job pipelines in production
- You default to simplicity, move fast, and don't need a lot of hand-holding
- You've used AI coding tools seriously (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.) — not occasionally
Bonus
- Experience with Cloudflare Workers or Workers-compatible runtimes
- Familiarity with GCP (Cloud Run, Pub/Sub, Secret Manager)
- Prior startup or studio experience
What We Offer
- Competitive salary
- Remote-first with quarterly in-person meetups
- Annual performance appraisals up to 20%
- Real ownership — not a ticket queue
Key skills/competency
- Associate Software Engineer
- Backend Development
- Bun.js
- TypeScript
- APIs
- Cloud Run
- Zod
- tRPC
- Background Job Systems
- AI Tooling
Skills & topics
- Associate Software Engineer
- Backend Developer
- Bun.js
- TypeScript
- API Development
- Cloud Run
- Zod
- tRPC
- Background Jobs
- AI Startups
- YC
- Venture Studio
- Remote
- Software Engineering
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight experience with Bun, TypeScript, Zod, tRPC, and AI coding tools. Quantify achievements in backend development and API creation.
- Showcase production experience: Emphasize projects where you've shipped and operated backend services, especially with Bun and job queues.
- Demonstrate ownership: Provide examples of taking initiative, moving fast, and owning a service lifecycle from start to finish.
- Highlight AI tool usage: Clearly state your experience with AI coding assistants like Claude Code or Cursor, and how you leverage them.
- Prepare for technical interviews: Be ready to discuss API design, background job systems, and problem-solving scenarios using your preferred tech stack.
Technical preparation
Master Bun.js for API and backend services.,Deepen TypeScript, Zod, and tRPC knowledge.,Practice designing background job systems.,Experiment with AI coding tools seriously.
Behavioral questions
Describe owning a service from start to finish.,How do you move fast and stay lean?,Share an experience using AI coding tools.,How do you work with minimal hand-holding?
Frequently asked questions
- What is Swades AI looking for in an Associate Software Engineer?
- Swades AI is seeking an Associate Software Engineer with at least 2 years of production backend experience, specifically with a strong, hands-on proficiency in Bun.js. They value engineers who can take ownership, move quickly, and are comfortable working across multiple AI-native startups within the venture studio.
- What technologies will I use as an Associate Software Engineer at Swades AI?
- As an Associate Software Engineer, you will primarily work with Bun.js and Hono for APIs, TypeScript, Zod, and tRPC for type-safe code, and various background job systems like BullMQ, Inngest, Trigger.dev, or Temporal. Deployment will be on GCP (Cloud Run), and you'll integrate third-party APIs and webhooks.
- Is this a remote position for the Associate Software Engineer role?
- Yes, Swades AI offers a remote-first work arrangement for its Associate Software Engineers. They do, however, organize quarterly in-person meetups to foster team connection.
- What kind of ownership can I expect as an Associate Software Engineer at Swades AI?
- The role offers real ownership over systems that matter, meaning you'll be responsible for the full lifecycle of backend services across multiple ventures, rather than just working on assigned tickets.
- How important is experience with AI coding tools for this Associate Software Engineer position?
- Experience with AI coding tools like Claude Code or Cursor is highly valued and considered a strong indicator of a good fit. The company integrates these tools as a first-class part of the engineering workflow.
- What are the growth opportunities for an Associate Software Engineer at Swades AI?
- While specific paths aren't detailed, the venture studio model and emphasis on ownership suggest significant opportunities for rapid learning and growth by working on diverse, profitable AI startups. Annual performance appraisals with up to 20% increases also indicate a focus on rewarding performance.